The criminal complaint against James Comey alleges he leaked classified information regarding Yahoo security features on October 5, 2016.
Posted by The MeidasTouch Podcast, Checked
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The MeidasTouch PodcastOct 27, 2026
Multiple reliable sources, including Reuters, Politico and ABC News, report that the Justice Department's unsealed charging document accuses Comey of leaking classified national defense information tied to a New York Times article published October 5, 2016, about Yahoo adapting its spam filter for FBI surveillance requests.
What was said
… Anyway, going back to the Comey case for a moment, so there is a five-year statute of limitations regarding this claim about leaking classified information or confidential information from the government. So five years would have expired 2021, because they're alleging on October 5th, 2016, Comey leaked some story about Yahoo doing better security features with the FBI. That's what this is about. Yahoo did better security features to help future elections, and the Trump regime saying that that's classified information, and that Comey's responsible for it. …
The MeidasTouch Podcast · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. Reuters reports the criminal information charges Comey with transmitting and conspiring to transmit national defense information, alleging he shared classified information with a New York Times reporter in October 2016.[1]
Supports. Politico reports the charges stem from a Times article about Yahoo adapting its spam filter to accommodate FBI surveillance requests, and that the case involves alleged leaks of classified information about government surveillance techniques.[3]
Supports. ABC News identifies the disclosure as tied to a New York Times article published October 5, 2016, titled 'Yahoo Said to Have Aided U.S. Email Surveillance by Adapting Spam Filter.'[4]
Context. Just Security describes the document as a criminal information under the Espionage Act, filed under seal on October 5 without a grand jury indictment, and says the government's position is that the ten-year limitations period applies.[5]
Context. Comey's lawyers dispute the charges, arguing the case is legally invalid and time-barred under the five-year default limitations period, and Comey says he is innocent.[1][2][5]
Sources
5 sources: 2 fact-checkers, 1 tier 2, 2 not rated
- 1Ex-FBI chief Comey faces third prosecution attempt by Trump Justice Departmentreuters.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports, context
- 2prosecute James Comey - Trump administrationapnews.com · fact-checker · cited for: context
- 3Justice Department charges James Comey with sharing ...politico.com · tier 2 · cited for: supports
- 4DOJ seeks to charge Comey with conspiring to disclose ...abcnews.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 5Just the Docs: Unsealed Criminal Information Against James Comey ...justsecurity.org · not rated · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
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